


Lone Wolf

by GiftsofGab



Category: PAYDAY (Video Games)
Genre: Cute, F/M, Funny, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-09-08 13:09:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8846323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GiftsofGab/pseuds/GiftsofGab
Summary: Since his separation from his family, Wolf has felt lonely. Rust and Sokol help out their fellow heister.





	1. Lone Wolf

“Thanks for helping with the masks today, Jacket,” Sydney chimed in the common area, fingers linked with the silent marauder. She looked him in the eye and wiggled flirtatiously.

“Can you believe these two?” Sokol was hunched over on the L-shaped sofa, one foot atop his knee so he could rest a clipboard in his lap. He was working on a set of schematics, but rolled his eyes and shook his head when Sydney and Jacket strolled by. They were holding hands, his face indifferent as always, and hers with a sly smile. "They've been going out long enough- I thought they'd be past this bullsh*t."

Beside Sokol was Wolf, flipping through the channels. He looked over at the couple uncomfortably, judgingly. Sydney stood on the tips of her toes to plant a soft kiss on Jacket’s thin lips. Wolf shivered violently and went back to flipping through the channels, much more rapidly now.

“I really enjoyed that,” said the voice on Jacket’s micro-cassette player as he clicked it.

“Gahh, get out, get out, get out!!” shouted Wolf, unable to bear the affectionate display. Jacket turned and stared blankly at him, eyes ever half-closed in what everyone assumed was a severe case of resting b*tch face. Sydney smirked and bit her lip, knowing she was getting on Wolf’s nerves. “C’mon, Jacket, let’s go drink a milkshake with two straws.” She tugged Jacket along by the hand and headed outside towards the Longfellow.

“D*mn!” Wolf cursed. “Even Jacket has more game than me, and he can’t even hold a conversation!”

“Maybe that is your downfall, Wolfie,” Sokol joked in his thick accent.

“What are you saying?” The Swede squinted and turned off the television projector, deciding there was nothing good on.

“Nothing,” Sokol shrugged as he wrote down measurements on his graph paper. “You’re just, eh, energetic.”

“That’s the understatement of the year,” said Rust, walking into the room. He wiped grease from his hands with an old rag before sticking it in his back pocket. His heavy boots resounded as he crossed the floor before letting himself fall onto the couch beside Sokol, comfortably propped up on one elbow. “What’s the word, boys?”

“Wolf can’t get a girlfriend,” said Sokol without looking up from his clipboard. Wolf punched him hard on the shoulder. Sokol flinched and held back a devilish laugh.

“Don’t you have a wif-”

Sokol elbowed Rust sharply. The gang did not discuss Wolf’s personal life much. As a matter of fact, Wolf did have a wife, as well as children, but after the episode which lead to his joining the Payday Gang, a divorce was finalized and she made sure he could not get into touch with her or the children again.

“Uh,” Rust paused, trying to move on. “Well, I tell you one thing, Wolf, gettin’ chicks is easy.”

“Really?” asked Wolf, perking up a bit.

Rust pushed up the sleeve of his black tee and revealed a heart tattoo. “This one’s for Rachel,” he said flexing. Pulling up the other sleeve, he showed off an anchor. “Robin- real party girl.” He stretched down the collar of his shirt to show the name “ROXANNE” written across his collarbone. “Serious hottie, that Roxanne.”

“Got a thing for R’s?” asked Sokol.

“R’s are cool, kid. As in, Rust,” he emphasized in his gruff voice.

Wolf looked in amazement at the ink.

“I know more than my fair share of ladies,” bragged the biker. “I could get you a date if you’re up to it.”

“I’m up to it!” Wolf said, jumping to his feet.

“Easy tiger,” chuckled Rust. “I’ll call around- see what I can do.” He stood and patted Wolf on the back. Pulling the rag from his back pocket, he left for the garage to continue his work. Wolf beamed towards Sokol who looked happy for him. Wolf plopped down on the sofa again and turned back on the projector.


	2. Rebecca

A week later, the safehouse saw another lazy day. Almost everyone was in their respective rooms, but Sokol had a larger set of blueprints spread out over the coffee table to work as he watched a hockey game on the projector screen. Beside him was Wolf, watching the screen with his fingers weaved behind his head.

Rust came strolling down the concrete steps in the common area, the chains on his pants and leather jacket clanking. “Got a date for ya,” Rust said, tossing his phone to Wolf who looked up just in time. The Swede caught it clumsily and looked at the screen. There was an enlarged contact picture of a beautiful smiling brunette with freckles peppered across her nose.

“Whoa!” exclaimed Sokol, plucking the phone from Wolf. “Where did a guy like you meet nice-looking girl like this?”

“She was a waitress at a bar I used to frequent. It got raided by the cops and shut down though, so we don’t keep in touch much anymore, but she seems really nice, and not crazy, which is more than I can say for Wolf here.”

“I don’t know- don’t you think she’s a little out of my league?” Wolf asked, scrunching his face.

“Of course she is, but what other choice do you have?” Rust quipped.

“What he means, Wolfie, is you must be confident!” Sokol handed the phone back to Rust.

“I texted her and set up for a date this weekend,” said Rust.

“Okay,” said Wolf breathily. “I can do this!”

That weekend, outside a restaurant, the trio stood waiting for Wolf’s date to arrive. It was a lovely French countryside-themed establishment with tablecloths and everything- the kind of place most members of the Payday Gang did not frequent. The sun was setting and the air was cool. Wolf wore a simple suit with his signature red tie. His beard was trimmed nicely and he even used deodorant.

“I can’t do this,” he muttered.

“You’ll be fine,” started Rust. “Rebecca’s a nice girl.”

“Do you know any women whose names don’t start with R?” asked Sokol.

“Yeah- I know Sydney, Clover, and Bonnie.”

The Russian sighed gently. “Anyway, Wolfie, don’t be nervous. Restaurant looks busy today and booths are taken to where we’ll have to sit near each other, so we’ll be around if you need us. Now,” Sokol began, straightening Wolf’s tie. “Knock her dead!” He playfully mimed punching Wolf on the jaw.

Wolf grinned and started for a bench to wait for Rebecca. Rust grabbed the back of his collar. “That was an expression, Wolf. Please don’t kill this woman.”

“Rust, relax. I’ve got this.” He smoothed his collar after Rust released it, then sat on a nice wooden bench outside the restaurant. He spread his legs comfortably and yawned loudly, mouth gaping. “I’m sure you’ll sweep her off her feet,” Rust said sarcastically. He and Sokol walked past, the Russian slapping Wolf’s knee to the side so he would sit properly. They were seated, Rust’s back to most of the room so the girl would not catch her acquaintance eavesdropping. They ordered water and waited for their fellow heister.

Wolf sat twisting his pinky in his ear when a figure approached him. He glanced up to see a tanned beauty in an orange sundress and fox earrings. She was pushing thirty, but looked even younger with an air of childlike wonder about her. He recognized her from the contact photo on Rust’s phone.

“Hello,” she smiled sweetly. “I’m Rebecca.”

Wolf wiped his pinky on the back of his suit jacket and jumped to his feet nervously. “I-I’m Ulf,” he mustered. He could do little more than stare at the freckles and hazel eyes he had been so fond of in the photo. The two stood awkwardly at the door for a moment.

“Er, should we go in?” she asked politely.

Wolf quickly moved for the front door and flung it open. It was much lighter than he anticipated and it slammed against the wall of the restaurant when he released it. He blushed heavily and motioned for her to enter. They were seated at the booth just behind Rust and Sokol. The waiter set down a few water glasses and Wolf ordered a French appetizer he struggled to pronounce.

The waiter obliged, then approached the next booth over. “Can I get the boudin noir aux pommes?” Rust asked, handing over his menu. The waiter nodded with a smile and jotted the order down.

“Uh,” Sokol choked. “Do you have anything like a burger?”

“I’ll bring a children’s menu- one moment.”

Rust blurted out a laugh before blowing the paper off his straw into Sokol’s face. The Russian swatted the paper away grumpily. “The f*ck do you know about French food?”

“So, uh,” said Wolf to his date. “What do you do?”

“Odd jobs here and there. I’m thinking about going back to school soon- nursing or literature maybe.”

“That’s pretty cool,” Wolf replied, fidgeting with his silverware nervously.

“What do you do for a living?” she asked, looking around at the room’s French countryside decor.

“I rob banks.”

Sokol slapped his forehead audibly. Rust pursed his lips and shook his head in pity.

Rebecca looked to him and paused, then chuckled. “At least I know you’ll bring home the big bucks.”

Wolf lit up. “Yeah- I do all sorts of work- espionage, armed robb-” He stopped abruptly when Sokol coughed loudly in the next booth over. “Uh, heh, I’m actually an engineer. I used to design software back in Sweden- Rust probably told you about the accent- but now I design, uh, tools.”

“Wow, sounds exciting! My brother is in game development!”

“No way- that sounds like a fun job!” Wolf broadened his shoulders in confidence. The two continued chatting gladly and enjoyed each other's conversation.

Sokol gave Rust an approving look. “Sounds like it’s going well.”

After a while of talking and sharing a nice meal, Wolf covered the check and the couple exited the restaurant. Sokol ate the last of his dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets and he and Rust followed them out at a distance.

“Well,” Rebecca began. “I had a great time getting to know you a bit, Ulf.” The Swede smiled. “Can I call or text you sometime?”

“Of course,” stumbled Wolf as she handed him her phone. He put in his number and handed it back.

“Cool,” she said with a smile. “Talk to you soon then.” They shared a brief, kind embrace, then she headed towards her car, cork heels clicking softly on the pavement. Wolf watched her, then waved gently as she drove past. Sokol and Rust approached from the distance. “Told ya she was nice. Good kid, Rebecca.”

“You were great, Wolfie,” Sokol said squeezing his friend’s shoulder. Wolf looked forward to Rebecca’s contact and was glued to his phone for the next few days, awaiting eagerly the call or text.


	3. We Need to Talk

In the safehouse dining area, Wolf sat at the long table with a sandwich. Across from him was Sokol, back at work on his schematics. Wolf was humming some old-country tune cheerily.

Sydney walked into the room and moved to the kitchen island. “You seem happy,” she said to Wolf, untwisting a bag of bread and pulling out a few slices.

“I met a girl,” he sighed, ripping the crusts from his bread.

“He met a giiiirl,” Sydney repeated, looking to Sokol who did not even look up.

“You’d think I’d be happy for him, but he is glued to phone now. Try designing next ultimate weapon with lovesick puppy texting instead of paying attention to your schematics.” He held up the paper he was working on. “Look at this- there are hearts on my blueprints!!”

“I think it’s cute,” Sydney said putting together her own sandwich. “Maybe we can double date sometime.”

“Don’t make me sick,” Sokol said, waving Sydney away. She smiled and turned back to her plate. “Is she just as crazy as you, Wolf?”

“She’s pretty relaxed, unless I’m too busy to text her.”

“Women are so needy,” said Sokol.

“Do you see me begging for Jacket’s time?” Sydney asked, turning back around and taking a bite of her sandwich. “We’re not all like that. But it probably just means she really likes you and wants your attention. It’ll probably pass after the honeymoon stage.”

“I don’t think so,” said Wolf. “I can’t imagine a time where she doesn’t make me as happy as she does right now,” Wolf said smiling.

“Awww,” Sydney cooed with a mouth full.

“I think I’m gonna puke,” Sokol said.

“Hey, where should we go for our three-week-aversary?” Wolf asked, texting vigorously and smiling.

Sokol made a heaving sound and covered his mouth.

* * *

Across town, Rebecca sat in uniform in the driver's seat of a police cruiser. Her passenger seat was covered in files labeled “OVERKILL MC.” Cassette tapes, paperwork, and photographs laid in a pile she poured over intently.

“Any breakthroughs on the biker?” asked a voice over her walkie-talkie.

“None so far,” Rebecca replied as she pressed the button on the device. She released it and picked up her cellphone to see she had several texts from Wolf. She eagerly started typing a reply. On the dashboard was a police scanner calling out addresses, relaying requests for officers, and offering information to whomever was listening. A blurb came up about the Payday Gang’s latest heists.

Rebecca stopped typing immediately and looked up, brow furrowed. She glanced around in deep thought for a moment, then she took the receiver from her radio on the dashboard. “Joe?” she asked hesitantly.

“Whatcha need?” an officer replied over the scanner.

She looked down at her phone. “Can you repeat those last four Payday heists?”

“It was two Thursdays ago, last Saturday, this Monday, and Wednesday. Need the locations again?”

She held the receiver in her shaky hand, not replying, staring down at her phone’s screen. After a while, she deleted the joyous reply she had begun to write to Wolf and wrote in another, more somber text.

* * *

“‘We need to talk’?” Wolf read the text aloud. “She says she wants to meet at the Time Out coffee shop.”

Sydney tightened her lips hard and raised her brows in surprise. Rust, who had joined the group in the kitchen, groaned. “Well, that can’t be good,” he said tactlessly.

“What? What can’t be good?”

“It’s okay, Wolfie,” Sokol faked a smile. He took Wolf’s jacket from the table and handed it to his friend. “I’m sure everything’s fine.”

“Y-you should stop on the way there,” Sydney chimed in. “Pick up some flowers- y’know, just to surprise her.”

Wolf smiled lightly and thought about what kind of flowers Rebecca might like as he slipped on his jacket. He said goodbye to everyone, who exchanged worried looks as soon as Wolf turned to leave the safehouse. When they heard his car leave the driveway, there was an immediate burst of energy in the room.

“I’ll tell Aldstone to put on some cocoa,” said Sydney, bouncing down the concrete steps to find the butler.

“Should we put on ‘Predator’ or ‘Top Gun’?” asked Rust, moving into the living room to look through the DVDs.

“‘Predator’, man! ‘Top Gun’ has love interest. No girls!” said Sokol.

The gang scrambled about to prepare for Wolf’s return.


	4. Incompatible

Wolf approached Time Out, shabby bouquet of mums and carnations in hand. He checked his breath and shrugged. Straightening his tie, he crossed the parking lot which was behind the establishment. The signs flickered and buzzed on the front and side of the building. Gentle thunder rolled in the distance.

He passed a parked police cruiser. They always made him nervous. He smoothed his hand over his shaved head and took a calming breath, before it was knocked out of him.

Wolf gave a sharp yell as he stumbled sideways, steadying himself on the cruiser’s push bumper. “What the he-” Another blow, this time to the face, from a soft-skinned but forceful fist. Wolf fell on his side and the flowers tumbled from his hand, a few straying from the bundle. He looked up to see a silhouette between him and the cruiser’s headlights.

“Stay down,” a shaky female voice commanded.

“Rebecca?” Wolf asked, holding his aching cheek with one hand and trying to shield his eyes from the headlights with the other. He saw her slim figure snuggly fit into a blue uniform. A glint of her badge caught his straining eyes.

“I took note of the days and times you were busy- all the same as the last four Payday Gang heists.” She sounded almost in tears.

Wolf scooted back and rolled onto his knees to slowly stand. “Don’t hit me again,” he requested calmly, trying to balance with a slight ringing in his ear. She let him stand but approached him swiftly and cuffed one hand. She twisted his arm against his back. He winced. While he felt as though he could easily escape a single cop after plowing down multitudes weekly, this was Rebecca. As his other wrist was cuffed and he was shoved into the back seat of the squad car, Wolf imagined Rebecca forgiving him. He imagined her brown hair bouncing lightly on her freckled shoulders as she flashed him a smile before kissing him. His dream was interrupted by the slamming of the door.

From the backseat of her squad car, he watched her reach for the radio. “Suspect in custody.” She slid into the driver’s seat and sighed with a shudder, trying to fight her feelings.

“You’re not just a liar about your work, but you’re a monster. Ulf, you’re an animal. You kill innocent people every time you go out with that gang. My coworkers, my friends, Ulf… But not any more. I’m taking you in.” She hung up the radio receiver harshly and started the engine.

“And what about you? Keeping secrets from me- you’re a cop for crying out loud!” She didn’t respond, but turned on her blinker to pull out of the parking lot. “Just part of a corrupt system stealing from taxpayers and shooting innocents. You’re just part of the biggest gang out there.”

“Your friends tell you that?” she replied, not turning around.

“We’re more of a family, and my family has my back.”

A steel-toed boot pressed against the grill of the vehicle accompanied by the cocking of a shotgun.


	5. Support

“Hey, Rebecca, what’s new?” Rust jeered. Wolf beamed from the backseat, but Rust kept his eyes firmly on the officer.

She called out her open window. “It’s Officer Sanders to you.” Rust chuckled behind closed lips. “A f*ckin’ pig, d*mn,” he said, pressing the shotgun against his shoulder. “I should have known.”

“What are you doing here, Rust?”

“Thought my friend might need some support after a bad night out with a girl. Good thing, too- looks like she was a real b*tch. Why do women always wanna break up at coffee shops anyway?”

“Figures anyone hanging out at that bar was involved with something shady,” she continued. “Luckily for me, you reached out, and here I am with two Payday members on my hands. Didn’t you wonder about the bar getting raided? That was thanks to yours truly. I had been casing that place as a waitress for months and busted the drug trade in there single-handedly.”

“Hey, look, why don’t you come out here and talk? I’ll cut you a deal, and we’ll both walk out of here just fine.” He motioned to her with his shotgun.

She turned off the engine, unlatched the door, and stepped out.

“Good girl,” Rust said. “Now, let’s discu-” Suddenly, Rebecca rushed him mid-sentence, swiftly pepper-spraying him in his face with a shout, then leaping onto the hood of the patrol vehicle as Rust blindly swung his gun and screamed out in pain. Jumping from the hood, her thighs wrapped around Rust’s neck. Swinging around and shifting weight, the officer pulled Rust to the ground and landed atop him with an elbow drop. Rust cried out angrily between deep, exhausting coughs. The officer stood over him and Rust rubbed his aching chest as he tried to roll to his feet. Before he could do so, the officer cocked her gun in warning.

“You have the right to remain silent,” she threatened sharply.

“F*ck me,” Rust coughed hoarsely as he gingerly put his hands up, unable to open his eyes.

She kicked his shotgun away then placed a foot on Rust’s chest, pistol pointed beside his head.

“What a woman!” Wolf exclaimed.

“Let her go, Wolfie,” said a hushed voice on the other side of Wolf’s door. The Swede glanced out to see Sokol crouched and jimmying the lock.

Rebecca managed to roll Rust over. She pulled a second set of cuffs from her belt. “Anything you say or do can be held against you in a court of law.” She cuffed him, put her gun into her holster, and got Rust to his feet as he wheezed. She lead him to the cruiser and reached inside for her radio, eyes never leaving her prisoner. “This is Officer Sanders, at 195th and Weston. Bringing in two suspects; please prepare holding cells and forms.” A response nor static resounded when she finished speaking. “Hello?” she clicked the receiver a few times. “Officer Sanders to Station, can you read me?”

“Step away, missy,” said a thick Russian accent. Rebecca turned to see Sokol, a face she did not recognize. He was holding a silenced pistol in one hand, and a remote in the other.

“Who are you? What’s that?” she motioned to the remote.

“This is small EMP I have been working on. Finally had the time while Wolfie was so distracted by girl. Police cruiser is now useless. No power brakes or steering, and your radio is shot too.”

“Did…!?” she looked over her driver’s seat to see Wolf was no longer in the vehicle. She cursed.

“Now, let my friend go and nothing happens to pretty face.”

Rebecca winced. After a moment staring at Sokol, she took the key from her belt and undid Rust’s handcuffs while he continued coughing.

“I’ll track the phone he used to text me,” she said desperately as Sokol backed away with the wheezing Rust.

“I’ll put out a police sketch!”

Sokol only kept fierce eye contact as he and Rust disappeared into the shadow of an alleyway.

“I’ll…!!” She paused, searching for words. She looked down at the rear door she had shoved Wolf through. In a breathy fog on the back window was written, “ULF XOXO.”

“I’ll miss you…”

* * *

Back at the Safehouse, Rust rushed to the bathroom to rinse off his face. Wolf was waiting on the couch in the common room as Sokol approached and plopped down beside him.

“What are we going to do?” Wolf queried, looking at his phone.

“About our faces?” Sokol asked. “We’ll be fine.” Sokol took the phone from his friend’s hands. “We always are.”

“The cocoa, Master Kozak,” Aldstone said, coming down from the kitchen with a tray. Sokol waved at him approvingly as the butler set the tray on the coffee table. As Rust came out of the bathroom under the stairs, Aldstone offered him the hand towel draped over his arm. The biker took it with thanks and wiped his burning eyes.

“Ah, you’ll be alright kid,” he said, sitting down beside Wolf. “I’ve had worse girlfriends, worse situations.”

“What good is girlfriend anyway?” Sokol activated the projector screen with a press of the remote, then pressed a play button for the DVD player. “You’ve got best comrades right here, watching out for you.”

Wolf paused and thought about it. He leaned forward and took the cocoa from the table and sipped it slowly, noisily. “I guess you’re right.” He sat back, a moustache of milky foam over his real one. “It’s good to have family.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment with thoughts or alert me to any typos. I appreciate all your words! :)


End file.
